Roller bearing track shoe



JamZ, 1951 H. A. KNOX ROLLER BEARING TRACK SHOE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 24, 1947 who 0 HarrH H.1(nc1x GM Y zu. 5. Ms

Jan. 2, 1951 H. A. KNOX ROLLER BEARING TRACK SHOE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1947 Patented Jan. 2, 1951 rso {Granted i under the act ofil'Mar'eh 33, 11683, as

amended Apriliiifl, 1928; '370 0. G. 757) 10S Claims.

(L'I'he invention describedlhereinTmay 'beImanufactured'andzused by "or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of anyroyalty thereon.

This invention relates 1101atrackshoefor tracb laying vehicles. In the known vehiclesvof this type common defects reside in vibrations, and resistance which result in loosening and breakage ofvehicle parts. Furtherundesirableifeatures "are throwing of tracks, tracklstretch lateral" bending, pinching, and cracking of. rubber parts and the lack of provision for side thrust in the pins.

All-such undesirable features are ameliorated by t the present invention by provision of roller bearings on the pins and a low rail positioned to engagethe idler and bogie wheels one line substantially coaxial with the pins.

.It is thereforean object of the invention to provide a track shoe for tracklaying vehicles which shall be smooth, free and vibrationless in operation. Still further objects are to provide a track shoe having a low rail andtto proyideta' pin having provision for roller bearings and side thrust bearings.

Other objects will be apparent -.from. the" accompanying specification "taken. in conjimction with the drawings in whichlikehrefeifencecharacters represent like partsfithroughout, 'and'in which:

Fig; 1. is a; top "plan view of" a'ipair of connected track'shoes,

' Fig-. 2 is aside view thereof,

Fig. 3.is asection taken on the line 3-4 of Fig.1,

Fig; 4 is a section'on'an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a section tothesame scale as Figure trallyof the shoe,occurring as'a raised portion of the main body wheeLengaging portion 12. Portion 2 will be'notedstobe:generallyiirrectangu liar: in :outline and a: has: parallel first and IISECOnd 12 longitudinahdges shown as horizontal uponfiFignre 1. 'Atithe-extremity of 'the' shoeis' abearing housingi'consisting-tof a" two part sleeve: 3-4. fA

grouser 5 is integral with and tconnects the sleeve parts.

Within'the isleeve 3-+4is a pint having a fiatmid portion 'La'and: cyliridricalxendspB, Closedbushings, ill 'an'd l l, aresnuglyfitted into sleeves .3 and hand held as ibyzpeening. 1 Needle bearings I support the pini' ends inuthebushmgs.

Joining the'zsleeves i 3-andm 4r isiashook member 43 i medially or the ':s1eeves and'tlongitudinally spaced therefrom and adapted to fit'rbetweemthe pair 'of sleevessof an adjacentfishoe. The hook member I3 has =afiat base in its open portion to mate with the flat: portion 1 l of the pin 26 241111 is fastened: thereto by atcapfscrew' l4. \SCI'6W*| has a lubrication fitting l5 'and bore 1B which communicates with .channels I1, l8 :and "charmbers L9, ZDinthepinB.

Detachablezrubber blocks" SUCHa-SJZ I, having a 'centraltmetallic holdingrplate 2 2 perforations 23',

the plate extending to provideiflan'ges,rimay'rbe provided. These c are iSGCllI-Bd against :shonlders blocks, which tsave :wear ton .the "grousers Lon smooth, rhardiroaids-are readily 'appliedfandadetachedand'arereversible.

On theendsiaof the shoe, holesiZ'l maybe'providedi for-bolting. on side extensionsforthe shoe.

In: assembly,. thepins li are fitted m theisleeves 3,4:together with the bearings,Aend-closedsbushings and :oil .aseals 26. It a is then onlyrnecessary to insert a n'diturndown cap-' screws; [4 to: fasten eachihook portionito the-"pin 6 of each. succeeding: shoe to' assemble: .the track, and detachment isas simplein the reversesense.

. It will. beiseen' thattthere "has been herein pro-'- videdra track" shoe in which" friction,:.stret:ch,heat and'wear-ara reduced toa minimum; the lowrail on thescenter of the? pins eliminates vibration; side thrust loadsare taken" up; the shoesfcanbe changed without disturbing the. bearings; and closures: or track pins by merely removing two screws :in each; welding and brazing areyelimb hated; throwing of 1 tracks is rminimizediyzmaxijmum Vgrouser rand cleaning z'action is obtained; the absence of TI'ilbbEI bushings eliminates track static and estatic r clips; fuel isrsaved, :and :speed gained,

Having thus described 'my invention, "what .I claimiasr'new and .Tdesiretossecure by Letters (Eat ent is: i

11. A'-:trade:shoesfior '3"tracklayingivehiclesacomprising alrplanaremain rrbodym rtion;amair:of ax ially spaced sleeves at each lateral edge of one longitudinal extremity of the body portion, a bushing secured in each sleeve, the bushings of each pair having their confronting ends open and their remote ends closed, anti-friction bearings in each bushing, a pin supported on the bearings in each pair of bushings and being cut away intermediate its ends to form a flat portion parallel to its axis, a pin-fastening member at each lateral edge of the body portion at the other extremity of the main body portion each member comprising a hook-shaped element laterally aligned between the corresponding pair of. sleeves on the opposite extremity, said elements having fiat portions complementary to the fiat portions on the pins, the axis of said pins and the pin axis defined by said hook-shaped elements being substantially coplanar withthe wheel-engaging surface of said main body portion,

2. A one-piece track shoe for track-laying vehicl'es comprising a planar main body portion; a pair of axially spaced sleeves at each lateral edge of one longitudinal extremity of the body portion, a bushing fixed in each sleeve, the bushings or" each pair of sleeves having their remote ends closed, anti-friction bearings in each bushing, a pin supported on the bearings in each pair of bushings, each pin having an intermediate portion cut away to provide a ilat portion parallel to its axis, a hook member at each lateral edge of the body'portion at theother extremity of the main body portion and laterally aligned between the corresponding pair of sleeveszon the opposite extremity, each said hook member being shaped to hook over and fit the pin of a next succeeding shoe and having a fiat portion fitting'over and mating with the flat portion of its pin.

3. In a track shoe for a track-laying vehicle, a main wheel-engaging portion generally rectangular in outline and having first and second parallel longitudinal. edges, a pair of spaced bearing sleeves at one'end of said portion having their common axis substantially coincident with said first edge, said sleeves being adapted to journal a bearing pin therein, a hook member for connection with the bearingpin of a next-adjacent shoe, and a strap..means extending from. each said sleeve and mounting said hook member between them with its axis in substantial alignment with said second edge, said portion, sleeves, hook member and strap means being integral.

. 4. A track shoe for the belt of a track-laying vehicle comprising amain wheel-engaging portion having first and second parallel longitudinal edges, a pair of spaced bearing sleeves at one longitudinal extremity of said portion in align ment with. said first edge, a bushing in each sleeve, said bushings having their remote ends closed, an anti-friction bearing in each bushing, a pin having its ends journaled in said bearings, a hook member for hooking over the pin of a next adjacent shoe, and straps extending from each said sleeve and mountin said hook member betweenthem at their "ends, said hook member having its central axis in alignment with said second edgeyeach said hook member and pin having mating ncn-circular surfaces, and means oper able to rigidly attach each hook member in mating relation with the pin of a next adjacent shoe, whereby all relative pivotal movement of consecutive shoes takes place about axes substantially coincident with said first and second edges.

5.'A- track shoe fortracklaylng vehicles comprising a main bodyportion having parallel v1on- 4 gitudinal edges, a pair of bearing sleeves at one longitudinal extremity of the body portion and in alignment with one edge, bushings in said sleeves having closed, remote faces, antifriction bearings in said bushings, a pin supported at its ends in said bearings, said pin having a flat intermediate portion parallel to its axis, the pin axis being substantially coplanar with the wheel-engaging portion of said main body portion, and a hook member rigidly connected with said sleeves and having its axis in alignment with the other of said longitudinal edges.

6. A track shoe for the belt of a tracklaying vehicle, a main body portion having parallel longitudinal edges and a generally flat wheel-engaging surface, first and second pairs of sleeves, the sleeves of each pair being fixed to said portion in spacedrelation at the respective ends of one said longitudinal edge, the axes of all said sleeves being in alignment with said one edge, a bearing pin journaled in and between each pair of sleeves, respectively, said pin having fiat surface thereon intermediate its ends, a pair of hooks each having an inner surface adapted to fit over and mate with the flat surface of the corresponding pin of a next adjacent shoe, straps integral with and extending from each said pair of sleeves, the straps from each pair of sleeves being integral with and mounting a respective hook between them, both said hooks being in alignment with the other edge of said main body portion. a 1

'7. In a track shoe for the belt of a track-laying vehicle, a body portion having first and second parallel longitudinal edges, a pair of spaced sleeves having their common axis aligned with said first edge at one end thereof and adapted to journal a bearing pin between them, a hook member adaptedto hook over and be rigidly detachably connected with the bearing pin or a next succeeding shoe, said hook member having its central axis in substantial alignment with said'second longitudinal axis. 7

8. A track shoe as recited in claim 4. and a grouser integral vvith and connecting said sleeves in a plane offsetbelow the lower surface'of said main wheel-engaging portion.

9. In a shoe 'for the belt of a track-laying vehicle, a main body portion, a pair of aligned bearing sleeves integral with said portion, a bearing pin journaled in and between said sleeves and having a medial portion removed to form a flat surface, a hook member integral with said portion and having a complemental flat inner surface to hook over and mate with the flat surface of the pin of a next adjacent shoe between the bearing sleeves thereof, and means for rigidly and detachably securing together in mating relation said member and the pin of a next adjacent shoe.

10. In a track shoe for the belt of a track-laying vehicle, a main body portion having generally parallel first and second edges, a pair of spaced bearing sleeves fixed to one end of said portion and having a common axis substantially coinci dent with one'edge of said portion, abearing pin journaled at'it's' ends in and between said sleeves and having a fiat medial portion, and a hook member integral with said portion and having its axis substantially coincident with the other edge of said portion, said hook member having a fiat inner surface mating with the flat medial portion of a; next adjacent pin, and means for rigidly and detachaby securing said hook member to the pin of a next adjacent shoe with file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS their mating surfaces in contact. Number Name Date HARRY KNOX- 1,789,814 George Jan. 20, 1931 1,835,627 Bauer Dec. 8, 1931 REFERENCES CITED 2,342,675 Knox Feb. 29, 1944 The following references are of record in the 2,425,219 Armington A 5, 1947 

